Tribulation of Etsia: Gatherer
by Shieb
Summary: Where once the sentient planet was peaceful, now problem after problem appear with no connection, and with no Plei to resolve them. Instead, Plei's daughter is left to care for things, but she'll have to journey far away from home to find the true cause.
1. Disturbances

Falling, falling, falling... He didn't remember from where. He didn't remember why. He had only tried to help. Wasn't that what they were supposed to do? And now he was falling. Falling because he had heard someone out and listened to their proposal. Falling because he had considered it without knowing the full picture. The humans were wrong. Angels weren't all-knowing.

He closed his eyes as he crashed into the water. Slowly, he sank downwards toward the depths. Then, like a rippling reflection, he disappeared.

* * *

><p>She stood atop a church, looking over the town. Behind her towered the ominous form of the mountain, which only those who first came here really continued to fear. She didn't mind it. It had always been here. Below was the rest of the town, each line of buildings perched lower than the ones before, making the church easy to see- a clear place to go if ever trouble befell this small place. And from this symbol of protection she watched the townspeople.<p>

All seemed peaceful and normal. This town was one of the smallest because it was close to the only source of Red mana. Most people here were not taught that Red mana was a good thing. Well, the ones that were taught about mana in the first place, anyways. Things here were a little more complicated than a world-wide way of living.

Many years ago, there was a woman named Pleisorium. She was given a very ancient power from her father, and before she had to give it back, she created this plane. Or so it was said. Ever since, people who are dissatisfied with their lives have been appearing here and are offered a chance to make a new life. If they changed their minds, they were sent back home. That's how it was supposed to be, anyways.

She sighed. All seemed well here, and so she needed to move on. From roof to roof she hopped, hands in her pockets, never glancing down. The people did not do the same. They glanced up or stared, curious as to who she was. Some thought they knew. Many were right. Not that it mattered. No one called out to her. Nothing was needed here.

From the small town at the base of the mountain, she made her way through the forest of Talvala. Talvala was noted for what people called its 'warrior trees'. They were called such because any plant could be toxic there if you were not accepted onto this plane. They could also walk about if the need was great enough.

Yes, it was quite a strange planet. Etsia would not accept anyone without Pleisorium's consent, and there was no Pleisorium to give consent. More and more people had to rely heavily on the goods that the accepted villagers had processed because they could not feed off the land without fearing death. Things here were becoming... tense.

When Etsia was first born and the people first gathered, Plei was almost always within sight of the people, personally taking care of their problems and helping them to acclimate from their way of life to Etsia's. This continued, and the people quickly learned about the different planes that permeated the universe. Not that the different species and cultures they were forced to commute with weren't proof enough, but Plei had a unique ability to traverse between planes at will. This she called her 'spark', and she was what she called a 'Planeswalker.'

It didn't take long for a religion to form around the sentient plane Etsia and her shaper/representer, Plei. The followers of the Etserum religion vowed upon eternal peace between nations, and to take care of the planet and all its needs. This was absurd, of course. Etsia could take care of herself, she'd thank them very much. And not every species and being that came here cared to follow Etsia's rules the first time. Conflict was inevitable, and there was more than one between all sorts of diverse groups. Species, cultures, religions, planes, and even where people preferred to live clashed. It was, needless to say, very stressful on Etsia and Plei. But again, they worked with their people.

Those who chose to dwell in the light, open areas, headed to Mithred, the open plains, and now there was a great city perched upon cleverly risen pillars of earth. It was a perfect tactical position, and with persistent acceptance of many different cultures, the 'capital' city, one could call it, managed to not only overcome conflict, but create a culture all to its own.

The mountains were mostly left alone, for no one seemed to manage to take an inch of land from the goblins, giants, and fiery creatures that enjoyed their lives in the boiling warmth inside it. Then those that enjoyed the forests moved to Talvala, and as the girl went through the trees, hardly ever touching the ground, she sensed the different forms that also maneuvered expertly. Elves were a chief species, and there were traces of Centaur presence along the forest floor.

She didn't want to leave the abundant life of the forest and hesitated at its edge. Then she turned, instead heading deeper. She could check on the different settlements here while also heading to the Mother Tree. Once, it had been a common meeting place between species, but now it was closed off. Maybe if she headed there once more, she would be let in.

Once things had settled down on Etsia and life had learned to take a new course, Plei took frequent trips to other places, and would disappear occasionally. After one very long trip, she came back with a baby. Plei was thrilled, the planet was a doting second mother, and Maycoe, Plei's close Kor friend, turned out to be a very kind aunt. The daughter grew up into a strong teenager called Surim, often called the 'Daughter of Etsia' as much as Plei was called Etsia's 'Mother'.

The girl made it to the Mother Tree and put her hand upon the vines that hung from the thick trunk, falling down in many layers to cover the openings between its thick roots, which were raised to create a sort of large room beneath the trunk. But the vines were unyielding. Even Surim, the daughter of Plei, was not allowed there.

She sighed. Etsia had been very quiet recently. Especially this place, where life was normally more abound than in the rest of the forest, there was not a sound or even a breath of wind. It was as if Etsia was waiting. Or mourning. Perhaps she missed Plei. Surim had never really been able to tell.

Turning, she continued back through the forest, angling toward the plains of Mithred. There had to be something going on there. The plains were the center of the Etserum religion, because Plei favored white mana. Perhaps someone there heard something helpful. Doubtful. The people here were pathetic, doting creatures that were no more honest here than they were elsewhere. Though the religion first started with honest intentions, those who wished to control soon sniffed out the possibilities and masqueraded as true followers of Plei while endeavoring to lead the worship. They would likely be little to no help. But Surim was worried.

Not only had Plei left the planet to take care of some problem, Mayoe and an ally Planeswalker, Draetur, a talking drake, set off not a month later. Surim strongly suspected it was to find her missing mother. But nobody ever told her anything, so now she was here on Etsia, alone, taking care of what she could. But everything seemed to slowly fall apart without Plei's guidance, and Surim couldn't hear Etsia like Plei could. She couldn't take over her mother's job.

Then there was a noise that made Surim pause to make sure she was hearing things right. It was like a high-pitched whine. Few could hear the earth, and even fewer could determine the feelings of Etsia. Being only an older teenager, Surim did not have the experience her mother had with Etsia, but she still recognized the plea for help.

Faster than ever before, nothing but a blur in the branches of Talvala, she raced along, toward the source of the sound. It wasn't long before she heard the screams and crashes. Something big was attacking, and her stomach squirmed as she felt a fraction of Etsia's pain. Finally, she stopped at the edge of a clearing. The forest had been dissolved away, and now she saw a giant acidic slime thrashing about, wreaking all kinds of havoc as it aimed for the elves and ended up striking at their clever tree houses. Surim watched in shock as she saw the trees fall apart on their own.

The air was thick with poison here, and Surim took out a rag that she tied about her mouth and nose. Then she leapt in with the rest of the elves. Those who saw her shouted. Though she was only the daughter of Pleisorium, she was still a rallying point, and with the extra view, she was able to direct them out of harm's way.

Surim found it difficult to get any grip on this thing. It was acidic and held no real solid form, and so she couldn't just punch it's lights out or hit it in the head. She didn't even know if it had a head. The thing thrashed again, and she heard the scream of an elf as he slowly dissolved. So there was that- she touches it, and she dies. The best idea she had was to lead it away from here.

A vine dropped from a tree, and she grabbed it. The thick rope pulled her up to the top, with momentum to spare and throw her above the treetops. From up here, she could see that the plains of Mithred were not too far away, and that the cliffs next to the 'capital' were very close as well. Just as she started coming down, she noticed that the acidic slime had noticed her as well. It came raging toward her, slamming into the tree just as she landed heavily on a thick branch. The entire form shuddered, but Surim jumped away before the slime could climb all the way up the trunk.

With a few motions and shouts, Surim made it clear she had a plan to take care of on her own. Most scattered, but a few brave souls joined Surim in gathering the slime's attention. They ran toward the cliffs, Surim at the front, and one by one branched off. The focus of the slime seemed to be entirely on Surim, and she could barely outrun the roaring thing behind her that made the ground shake.

The tree line abruptly flew by, and Surim found herself barely five steps away from the edge of the cliff. She sped up. In three steps, she vaulted off the side of the cliff, her arms spread wide as if to catch the wind. The girl turned in air, her arms still reaching out as she saw the acid do its best to jump out at her. But a vine shot out faster than the acid could, and Surim instead swung right next to the cliff, the taut vine eventually swinging her up so that she could put a foot on the ledge.

It was only a few moments before worried elves approached.

"Thank Etsia you're alive." said one of them.

"Thank Talvala." Surim corrected the elf. It was the trees who helped her at her behest. Etsia knew Surim better than to worry. And anyways, Surim wasn't sure if Etsia was able to take care of anybody right now. She was so quiet...

Surim walked back to the dead path the acidic slime had wreaked. As her eyes followed the trail, she saw only withered plants and empty husks of what used to be alive. Even the elves weren't sure who had died just by looking at them- or, in some cases, at the pieces of them. As the remaining elves slowly appeared from their hiding spaces, Surim heard noises of both pain and grief.

_'Etsia.'_ Surim thought quietly. _'What are you doing?'_

"Young Plei." Said an elf as she approached. Surim turned, unhappy at being in her mother's shadow again. "Thank you very much for helping our people."

"Everyone on Etsia is my people." Surim replied, bowing.

"Your mother has taught you well." The elf smiled. They were gorgeous, all of them. "But do you think it will be coming back?"

"Just hope it can't climb." Surim offered unhelpfully.

"It is not dead?" Asked a younger elf. Surim turned to analyze his sharp cheekbones and big, doe eyes.

"No. It's slime. It can't be destroyed physically, even after such a large fall."

She walked to the edge and leaned over. Through the deep fog, she couldn't see the bottom that she suspected was there, somewhere. Falling so far would definitely splatter it's body over a mile or so. However, that only meant it would take a little bit longer for it to regain its earlier form.

"You jest." Said a male challengingly. "Nothing can survive that fall."

"Did you hear me?" Surim sighed, not taking the bait. Elves were just as vain as they were gorgeous. Any loss of beauty was a huge fault in their society. So, clearly, Surim could not lose her temper. It might be seen as unsightly.

The elves that were upset, or perhaps just extremely worried about the damage that had already been wreaked, glanced at each other. The first woman, who seemed to be in charge, waited patiently on Surim. Surim, noticing this, continued.

"The slime has not been destroyed. You'll need magic for that job, not a fist fight. It will eventually reform and find its way to another living thing to rage against. And when it does, Etsia will call me. She always does."

"And is this how fast you will react to her call?" Motioned the male, drawing Surim's eyes briefly to the destruction that was caused.

It was so much like elves to blame the people instead of the planet. It was something that Plei had always enjoyed about the elves, and she was more than happy to take the fall for the planet when it was Etsia's fault. But Surim had her suspicions at times. It was easy to blame people who were sworn to serve you. Blaming a planet that would turn around and kill you, however, was a bad move for any society.

"Hopefully, I won't need to. You know what to expect now. Your leaders, with your guidance, should be able to devise an appropriate plan to take care of the slime when next it comes, with the least amount of damage. I cannot fight all your battles."

"In fact, she is sworn not to." Said the leading elf with a quiet, but stern look at the male. He quieted down reluctantly.

"Thank you again." The woman said, turning to Surim. "Please do not hesitate to ask anything of us."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Surim said, and the two exchanged bows.

Surim left quickly. She needed to head to Mithred's capital, the city that could be seen not too far away. She followed the edge of the cliff, avoiding the area where the acid had oozed. The ground there was unsteady and likely to send Surim to quickly meet the pile of slime. Caution favored her well, and she reached the road leading up to the towering pillars of the capital in little time. Quietly, she blended into the crowds that were heading up from their fields and to their homes.

As the crowds thinned, the streets became thinner as well. Once, this place was only a little pile of shacks with a makeshift wall around it. Now there was no wall, and the town extended to the sides of the pillars. Some believed that this was dangerous, but others believed that as long as they made good with Etsia, she would never let the capital of Mithred fall. Surim maneuvered through the streets in the middle, her feet automatically taking her closer to the church of Etserum. With a few quick moves, she leapt onto the roofs, and watched over the people from there until dusk made the streets dark.

By the time Surim was almost convinced this capital city was safe and quiet, things were getting very late. She considered heading back to the church of Etserum and sleeping there, high in the rafters. One hop at a time, she made her way toward the towering structure, a symbol of wind from mixed cultures elevated high above the rest of the buildings.

Then there was a sharp scent in the air, and Surim froze, her form blending nicely with the shadows. All was still a moment before she heard the shouts. Louder and louder they became, until she was sure that if she just stood and watched, she would see what all the fuss was about.

"Thief!" Came the shout.

A moment later, the glass shattered from a high window, and out came the thief, wrapped in robes whose style Surim recognized. His face covered from the nose down and a small wrap on his head, Surim watched him leap over an enormous gap and onto a shingled roof. Almost without really touching the roofs, he ran off.

Surim leapt high to land next to the flustered holy man. A single look informed her he was an honest man, and his slightly heavy face quivered as he groaned. He jumped as she landed next to him, and in fact seemed more guilty than a moment before.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I lost it!"

"What are you talking about?" Surim asked after waving a hand to silence him.

"The thief! He just ran off with the symbol of this church! The sacred artifact that gave the altar its holy light!"

It wasn't often that Surim got angry. However, a fire burned at her insides and her expression became dark, making the holy man shrink away with fright. She turned to view the small form of the thief leaping away, his robes fluttering in the winds.

"Stay here and put out the fires in the back." Surim ordered him. "I'll take care of the thief."

"Thank you. Wait- what fires?"

Surim jumped to the next building without answering. She wondered if the thief made the fires, too, in order to delay any pursuit. But the church was just a building of a man-made religion. It could burn down for all Surim cared. The people would just build it all over again.

Surim was easily faster than the thief. Surprise showed in his eyes as he glanced back to make sure he wasn't being tailed. Surim smirked. She wasn't letting him get away. With an extra effort, the thief tried to run faster, but she was still gaining on him, and with the ease that years and years of practice would bestow upon even the youngest runners. But he was approaching the cliffs quickly, and he wasn't slowing down. A bad feeling began to eat away at Surim's fire, and she pushed herself to go even faster. Still, she didn't catch up in time. He jumped, and Surim's heart leapt up to her mouth. Was her mother's necklace gone? Had Surim, in her mother's absence, allowed this precious symbol of Plei be taken by a lowly human?

With a rush of wind, the thief rose above the cliffs. The glowing blue form of a drake was around him, and Surim cursed. He had a drake umbra, and now he was using it to get away. Surim had never run so fast to get out of the city, trying to track his movements as he headed straight into the forest. But those with flight were always faster than people on two legs. Surim knew that from the Kor, whose kitesails were a favorite method of transportation for Plei.

Damn. She didn't care to give such a pathetic thief so much energy, but there was little choice in the matter. The girl made a small jump, and when she came down, she came down on four paws and was exceedingly quicker. In the darkness, no one could tell what exactly her form was. This was nice to know, since it was easier to blend in when nobody recognized her.

Into the forest she streaked, muscles rippling under a layer of fur. She was just as limber now as she had been in her two-legged form, but now she was a blur, quickly catching up to the man who was coasting on the winds above. As she ran, she saw opportunity and didn't hesitate to position herself right, running up the side of a fallen tree that let her jump above everything.

The thief was shocked when the beast jumped out before him. He desperately tried to backpedal, but Surim was too quick. Her magic took hold of him as it spread outward, and reaped him of the umbra which once surrounded and protected him. No longer with any form of support, he gave a shout of surprise as he pelted downward and crashed into the trees.

The animal landed quietly on the tree trunk again. It padded along, unhurried, and waited below the tree in which the thief struggled. She sighted his shoes and manner of clothing in this dim lighting, recognizing its origin, at least of plane. Patiently, she waited below, flicking her tail about. The man struggled and tried to rise, but the trees denied him ascension, pulling him down or barring his path. Then, with a gust of wind, a branch came about and threw the man down. Daring him to pull another trick, the animal stood above him as an ominous shadow, its fangs bared.

Panicked, the man was still for a moment, paralyzed by the concept that perhaps this beast would end his life. Thieves did not make good fighters, after all. But as the animal roared, as if to prompt him, he realized that his only chance of survival was to give up the item he had taken in the first place. Fumbling in the folds of his clothing, he finally found the shining object, a chain with a pendant hanging off it, a shield cut into five parts on the pendent. The beast took it with a swipe of its paw, claws outstretched.

Thinking himself free, the thief stood and turned to run, but found only a wall of elves before him. Looking around, he could just make out their forms everywhere. How had they gotten there so quietly?

"Let him pass." Said a voice, and the man turned to sight a girl in place of a beast. "But if I ever see you again, or catch you stealing things that aren't yours, next time I'll take something that belongs to you."

With that threat, the thief reactivated his umbra and flew off, no longer feeling safe enough to merely coast on the warm winds of the night. Below, the elves and Surim regarded each other quietly. Surim wondered why they were here.

"We need you to see something, Young Plei."

They took her to where they lived. It was beautiful, and Surim thought it ingenious to live with nature the way they did. But, gathered in the center of their homes was a group of people. They all seemed to be either in mourning or shock. They allowed Surim to step among them and see the body laying there, pretty as a picture, but with their eyes wide open.

"This one wasn't from the slime." A soldier clarified. "He came into the village, apart from his hunting group. Started going on about witches and ugly magics, and then died. The rest of the hunting party hasn't been seen, either."

Surim knelt nearer, getting a good look at the body. It definitely wasn't the slime. Everything seemed intact. There were traces of blue mana lingering on the body's chest, but Surim couldn't figure what its purpose had once been. Something else about the body seemed strange, though. Leaning closer, she caught sight of the elf's eyes. The pupil was a skull, and its teeth seemed to bleed over, giving the elf black tears.

**Cards Used: Acidic Slime, Master Thief, Drake Umbra, Back to Nature, Deathmark**

**Shieb: Aha! The first chapter is up. I didn't introduce things quite as soon as I wanted to, so I'll give the story some direction in the next chapter, I promise. I am using the 60-card challenge again. And I say 'again' because I do have another Magic: The Gathering fanfiction. If you haven't read it, you might want to check it out. At least then you'll know about characters like Pleisorium.**

**What are your first thoughts?  
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	2. Hot Winds

She moved cautiously through the thick, heavy jungle of the eastern continent, called Dagoth's Mane. The very lack of wind seemed to press down upon her, but she withstood the pressure, keeping ever vigilant for threatening movement. There were wildcats in the treetops, high in overhanging, thick branches. Like all of the origin trees, the ones here, in the heart of the jungle, were huge. And among them were millions of life forms, ranging from the cats that watched her cautiously to the smallest of bugs, and even further down to micro creatures that even Surim, who was born and raised with closeness to the planet, could not sense.

Although the jungle was huge and contained many thousands of creatures, Surim always found it was the more rare creatures that she and others would seek out. A human did not often ask his neighbor for help with an important situation, just as Surim would not. She was maneuvering through the thick foliage here to find a very old being that was older than Plei, but came to Etsia later. Though he was initially a stranger to the world, he was now a very trusted caretaker. And this was why Surim was seeking him out.

Although she searched, she was finding it extremely difficult to track him. The being was well cloaked by the greenery and life about him, seeing as his heart beat alongside the foliage. Usually, Surim could find him when she needed to. But the jungle was so thick with little heartbeats, she was finding it difficult to discern the difference between all of them and him.

It wasn't too difficult for Surim to grasp that she was getting closer when it finally happened. Near him, the greenery began to perk up and become a more vibrant green, as if his very presence revitalized them in this pressing world. Colors became more pronounced, like the violent purples and vibrant yellows.

As she got closer to the source, the plants and earth began vibrating with the idle humming that came from him, and at its momentary stillness, she knew she had been noticed. Pushing through branches filled with wide, heavy leaves, she found herself in a very small clearing. Well, it was a fairly big clearing, but with him standing in it as well, she was not given much room to stand about, let alone to crane her neck up in order to see his face.

The Walker of the Grove was very tall. His form was made largely out of green leaves that covered what seemed to be a strong physical form. As he turned to view her, Surim noticed his nose which didn't come to a point, but curved down to connect with his lip at the end, making his nostrils somewhat resemble slits. The most eye-catching part of the being was his mane of varied and colorful plants, however. Yellow trumpet flowers, bright purple leaves, wheat stalks, added together with long peacock feathers and a pair of deer horns made for a very notable display. As he turned, these many things that made up his mane swayed with the movement.

"Sometimes I wonder how you find the strength to continue caring for her, even when she stops talking back." Surim commented.

"She has done her best to stop communicating with me. But there are tells for her, just as there are with any being. For instance, I can tell you're worried by the mere fact that you came to seek me."

He didn't open his mouth, but he spoke. His voice was slow and almost ponderous, but the message was conveyed in an instant. All around her, Surim could feel the air and the plants vibrate with his words. It was how he spoke. They were his messengers. If ever the greenery died, he would be mute.

"Etsia's worrying me." Surim said, cutting to the chase.

"She worries all of us."

"There have been creatures running rampant that are normally calm, but I can find little evidence of the people angering them. The plant life has even become toxic to those who are accepted in certain areas. This isn't like Etsia."

"She is confused and scared. Far be it from her to admit it, but Etsia is very young. She was a barren plane of turmoil before Plei came and calmed her. Now that guidance is gone, and she doesn't know where it's gone to."

"Still, she won't tell me what's wrong. I can't help but get the feeling that she's trying to correct something on her own."

"Correct something?"

"Yes. Just the other day, I had to drive a giant acidic blob off the side of a cliff. It was going mad, and I felt like it was going after something. If all things living are connected to Etsia, then wouldn't that mean she was telling it what to do?"

"Not necessarily." He said after a moment." Those who came to Etsia from other homes are not as connected as the things that were born here and grew here. The newer generation- your generation- has grown here, and it is creating a phenomenal world. I can't wait to see where you will go. But those who were drawn here by their wish for something new... they are by no means Etsia's children."

"So someone else could have brought the slime here?"

"Both are equally possible."

Surim descended into silence and pondered this as the green giant tended to the plants and animals around him. Not that his words had really helped, but he did reveal a new possibility. An enemy on Etsia? But why, if this were true, did she find them such a threat? Why didn't she just casually kill them off with her plant life? Or, perhaps this visitor was not a normal one. Perhaps they were another Planeswalker who could not be forced into eating the fruits around them. If that were the case...

"Have I managed to give you new direction?"

"Another choice, perhaps. If there is an intruder upon Etsia that has threatened this planet, I will have no qualms with dispatching them."

"Careful with your beliefs, Surim. You may one day hurt your friends with them."

Surim paused, wondering if she should bite back. She decided against it.

"I don't have friends, old one. I'm just a guardian of this place. Like you."

* * *

><p>Havaar. Not a very pretty name, but Surim wasn't into that sort of thing. Plei had been the one who wished someone with a more pronounced language had managed to name it. But as things were, a less refined language made it here first, and the roughly-hewn town eventually turned into a bustling center of commerce. There wasn't much that was too impressive here, besides how crowded it was. Everything was close together, and even the larger streets, meant for vendors and their wares, were hard to move in when the midday throngs came.<p>

Surim, disliking such cramped quarters, stayed above and watched the Aven that seemed to like this place so much. She wasn't sure why it was that so many gathered here, but they mostly seemed to gather at Havaar and Mithred, the two places that mimicked the highest ground on Etsia. Their feathery bodies mimicked that of birds, but there were key differences that Surim could find without looking too hard.

The Aven above didn't distract her from the people below, however. Surim still felt she had to go over each city when she arrived and make sure that things were alright. She strongly suspected that the worst of crimes only happened when she was gone. Those who recognized her as the daughter of Plei knew they were not a match to her, and slunk away in the shadows, as if her own was much larger, giving her the appearance of being much larger than she was. It was her family, which proceeded her, that caused the thieveries and assaults to suddenly stop.

It was at length that Surim made her way to a little tavern. Havaar was a unique town, even on Etsia. Etsia, being so open and drawing on people from all different planes, was a natural gathering place for all people, even Planeswalkers. Here, where the concept of Planeswalkers was so widely accepted, they could wander in and out with little question, except from a few very excited young children. The tavern of Havaar was a more central gathering place. Surim wasn't sure how it happened, but she always suspected it had something to do with her mother.

Quietly, the girl sat in a corner. Most people here were well informed, and few raised their heads for more than a second as she entered. She was not a stranger here, not a ghost rarely seen. The tavern was a place where all sorts of strange folks were not so strange. They were expected, in fact. So, in silence, Surim made her way to a small corner table and waited, listened, and watched.

Time gave way to hunger, and Surim ended up ordering food. This tavern was also one of the few places that she was charged just like everyone else. Still, the meal was something small so that she would feel free to leave if the urge took her. Unfortunately, this just meant that she finished her meal too soon, since her very presence suppressed illegal activities.

Time and patience. Surim remembered that was something that Etsia seemed to speak of often, and lived by. Plei was not so much the patient type, and Surim naturally attempted to get the job done as soon as possible, so it was now, when things were at their most precarious, that Surim chose to wait. She closed her eyes, relaxing in her dark corner, and listened.

The door to the tavern opened. Hoof beats. A centaur had arrived, and there was the padding of small, unsteady feet next to the hooves. They seemed to have trouble finding a place to sit. Centaurs were naturally not meant for structures such as this city, as far as Surim was concerned. It was strange that one was so far away from the forests that their kind seemed to enjoy so much on this planet.

More waiting. More people entered and exited, and there was a lot of talk up at the bar. Questions as to who was the best for certain tasks. It sounded like some kind of mercenary deal to Surim, so she kept half her mind on it while the other half searched for anything else that might help her. But the only thing that happened was someone approaching her.

Green eyes opened to gaze quietly at the man who was walking toward her. He had a bottle in one hand, but he didn't smell drunk. He certainly wasn't the type to take care of himself, though, with a five-o-clock shadow and messy hair that was escaping from its short ponytail.

"You're that girl, aren't you?"

She was already annoyed with him, so she chose not to answer, instead staring at him with deceptive patience.

"Surim?" He probed with no response. "Yeah, yeah, you gotta be her. I've seen you in here before, wasting time like it was nobody's business. It's kinda funny how you and your mom say you're supposed to protect us and all, but you just spend time in bars."

Surim sighed. She felt her magic reach out and touch her shadow, which flickered. A stroke of blue and black weaved its way through her mind's eye. She didn't like people like this, and she wasn't going to bother with this little boy. He was probably hoping that bottle in his hand would make him not liable. Surim proved him wrong as she stood, and the candle on her table threw her shadow into sharp relief. Except the shadow that extended upon the wall was not that of a human girl, but that of a monster, the eyes visible and everything. The man before Surim paled and began stuttering.

"Remember that your feet are planted on the ground, not in the ground. You know less about Etsia than we, and you have never attempted to try and govern or help a single person, so until you have participated in any act that does not blame other people for your own problems, you, sir, will not earn a single second of my time."

She stepped beyond the table, and the man tripped onto his butt as if she had been walking towards him. She walked past him, in fact, ignoring his presence entirely, just as her last sentence had suggested. More than a little annoyed, she headed for the door. Surim didn't make it out in time to avoid the hoof beats that clacked quickly after her.

"Excuse me! I'd like to talk to you, ma'am!"

The girl stopped to view the centaur, adopting an air she thought resembled her mother. The centaur was fairly tall on his four legs, but also seemed somewhat old. He wore clothing that was strongly reminiscent of Ravnica, and Surim didn't doubt that that may have been where the centaur had come from. Behind him trotted a young boy who seemed younger than Surim. He had pale hair and skin, with eyes downcast and a body that looked so frail it could break at the slightest breeze.

"You are the daughter of the shaper of this plane?" The centaur said, beside himself with awe.

Surim sighed and walked out the door. She had never enjoyed being recognized. Ever since Plei had left and Etsia had tried to correct the problems on her own, there had been mixed feelings about those who could hear Etsia better. There were always the loyalists, those who followed the Etserum religion. Then there were those who doubted Surim's intentions. They annoyed her the most. Plei had been so good at dealing with them and convincing them she was doing the best she could. Surim just thought their complaints were pathetic. Who cared if the foliage was too dense for them? Go walk some place else, if that was the case.

The centaur somehow managed to make it back outside, the young boy trotted unsteadily behind him while the centaur tried to catch up with Surim.

"Please, I would dearly like to speak with you."

"Then speak." Surim said wearily.

She glanced at him again. She had always seen the young centaurs of the forest, their muscles strong and rippling. This centaur was much older, his human half very frail-looking, with white hair atop his head and a staff of some sort grasped in his thin fingers. He used to be a full bay, it seemed, as his horse half bore that coloring. Surim was wondering what the centaur was doing with the young boy in tow.

"I am searching for help." The centaur started off, to Surim's sigh. "Please listen."

"I'm listening." She assured him irritably.

"You seem a strong and capable person. I've heard a lot about the woman who was supposed to have shaped this plane, and about her daughter. I hoped to meet you to make a request. It would be most gracious of you if you would lend yourself to helping me rid the verses of something very terrible."

"How terrible?" She asked, momentarily interested.

"The force is something like an Eldrazi. Though it is not one, its intentions seem to be parallel to the beasts. You know of the Eldrazi?"

"Unfortunately. They are the giants three who came from the place in between planes. They were bound to Zendikar, but things have been going awry... All three of them enjoy sucking all mana and life from what they touch."

"Precisely. Well, this force seems to focus on people instead of entire planes, but who knows how far she may go."

"People?"

Surim turned in the streets, and both the boy and the centaur stopped abruptly as she turned. If this person the old man was talking about was here, then could they be involved in the strange happenings on Etsia? Could that be who Etsia was trying to fight or what she was trying to correct?

"Does it leave behind marks?" Surim asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There was an elf a few days ago. They died of unknown means, but their pupil had taken the form of a skull."

"A deathmark?" The centaur shaman said quietly. "No, that is not a mark of this force. That is someone else, but to think that he might be here as well..."

The centaur quietly thought about the situation. This didn't suit Surim at all. In fact, she quickly concluded that if the force the centaur was talking about was not involved in the problems on Etsia, Surim was not interested.

"Well, my problems are on Etsia, and that is all I care to help. My presence is needed here." Surim decided aloud. "My condolences to your journey, but I will not be a part of it."

"Perhaps you do not fully understand." the centaur said, panic barely registering in his voice. "This force has not limited itself to just one plane. I think it is either a Planeswalker or friends with one, or has gained powers similar to that of the spark. It quite enjoys those with plenty of mana, and since your plane is a gathering ground for others of great power-"

"-it'll come here. If not now, then later." Surim finished, catching on.

"Yes." The old man sighed in relief.

"You're not lying, are you?" Surim said, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"You're very blunt, aren't you?" The centaur said after a moment, his leathery face wearing an expression that Surim thought might be amusement. "No, I am not lying. My lady and I desperately need your help."

Surim raised a brow. She looked about them and, finding the cobblestone streets around nearly empty, decided this might be something worth considering. But with the idea of a new threat, her suspicion was also higher.

"Let's keep walking." She said quietly.

* * *

><p>'My lady', as the centaur called his master, was a woman who had once met the person who was taking life energy. She knew the full danger, and had therefore asked the centaur, who called himself Daeci, to find a group of people whose power might be able to counter the force's own. Daeci called it a dangerous job. The very people he was looking for might become targets of the life-stealing darkness.<p>

Surim gathered that, by just talking to this old man, she might become a target. Since that choice had already passed, she didn't worry about it much. If it helped her get whatever was bothering Etsia out of this plane, it might even work to her advantage. The centaur did not seem to agree however. He believed that Surim, as strong as she was, was not strong enough to take out the dark force he spoke of alone.

Despite all the centaur's seriousness, it was proven that in his old age he still had a soft heart. The boy who travelled with him was a weak one that the centaur had found on the side of the street, near death and surely not able to survive in the rough plane of Ravnica. Daeci wasn't sure how the boy had gotten there, what faction he was a part of, or what his name was. Out of caring, however, he had picked the boy up and helped him. Surim wondered if Daeci was missing his grandchildren or something.

"So..." Surim said slowly, " there's a dark force that acts like a mini Eldrazi, it might be on this planet, but it doesn't leave a skull on a person's pupil, and somehow you thought it wise to bring along a weak young boy while searching for people who could destroy this force."

The centaur's face twisted in what Surim believed was a displeased expression.

"Fairly accurate, if you are alright with wording things that way."

Surim, though interested, was not convinced this was enough to make her leave home. Going to places far more different from what she was used to was one thing. Abandoning her post, let alone Etsia, was something entirely different. There was nothing more important to her than Etsia because there was nothing more important to Plei. And Plei wasn't here, was she?

"I see you are not convinced," the old man sighed.

"Oh, I believe you." Surim assured him.

"Yes, I see that as well. I did not want to trouble you with this, but I am desperate to do as my lady bid me. Young girl, have you seen the giant hedrons floating in your skies? Do you know what they belong to?"

Surim cautiously nodded. Where could he be going with this?

"It is said that your mother asked the universe to come here if it does not like where it sits. That is how this world has populated itself. But hedrons do not have a will, young guardian. They cannot wish themselves here. Have you been told what they are for?"

Again, Surim nodded. She could feel her attention focusing. It felt as if the old centaur was zeroing in on something very important.

"Good. Then you know the hedrons were originally built to lock the Eldrazi and their appetites away. But slowly, the hedrons have begun acting very strangely. It is probably the will of the Eldrazi that has drawn the hedrons here."

A frown made deep marks on Surim's otherwise youthful face. These words worried her.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"It is not probable. However, neither is it impossible. This plane of life and growth is abundant with all sorts of energies. It is not at all far-fetched for their efforts to escape drawing them here, where a change in their binding may set them free and ravage Etsia. The dark force would will this to happen faster, and so it would."

Surim did her best to keep control. She could feel herself growing pale and her face twisting into an ugly snarl. She was this way when something very heavy began to weigh on her shoulders. The girl's immediate action was almost always to fight. But there was no immediate way she could lash out at the moment, and so she had to satiate herself with pursuing more information.

"You're serious about this?" She said in a voice as threatening as she could muster- quite threatening. "You had better not be lying."

"Against a young one as volatile as you, I do not think I would benefit to lie."

Surim turned away and thought hard. Was there any way she could avoid this? Could she fight whatever it was from here? Finally, she turned to the old centaur.

"Fine," she said gruffly. "I'll go. But don't expect any great loyalty to your cause."

* * *

><p>Surim did not like Planeswalking. It was so sudden and fast, and yet she remembered every stark, logic-defying detail of the space between. The centaur said it was only him allowing passage that provided Surim with the ability to survive in that turbulent area for as long as they passed. The boy made no more reaction to the walking than he did to anything else.<p>

As soon as the turbulence that reminded Surim of an earlier Etsia was over, a vast upsweep of heat hit her and her companions. The girl was startled to see that they were on an outcropping on the side of a mountain. She stared at the vast canyon the twin mountain lines made, and how the dark rock contrasted so sharply against the bright molten lava that ran as rivers would down their sides. Where had the old man put them?

"Oh my," the centaur said with mild surprise, hanging onto his walking staff with a tight grip, "perhaps I have missed my original goal. We should have been just near a calm town."

"A little?" Surim wondered aloud, feeling ill-natured.

"I suppose we'll have to take the long way."

"The long way?"

Surim turned away from the fiery chaos to see the centaur turning to walk into a cave that just so happened to be in the mountain. The young boy was following without any instruction. Surim was wondering if she should ask to go back, or if the old Planeswalker would accidentally drop her in Etsia's volcano. She decided not to chance it.

The inside of the mountains were, if possible, even more smothering than the outside. Here, there was little room for the air to roam, and so the stifling heat blew up and around them all, but never felt renewed. Surim walked behind the other two reluctantly. She nervously watched the old centaur's legs shake as he walked, wondering if he'd burn himself on the hot rocks if he fell. Then she noticed the boy had nothing like real shoes on. How did he not feel the heat?

As the three travelled deeper into the mountain, Surim noticed a mist that began flowing along the floor. It gave her the sense of cold, despite the overwhelming heat, and a shiver came up her frame. Senses reacting to instinct, she paid sharp attention to what was around her as the path opened into a small cave. She could spot the exit at the other end. However, between the three and the exit was what Surim assumed to be a horse.

It was a strange horse. Its dominant color was white, but red stripes made strange patterns on it. As the horse noticed the intruders, it snorted, and Surim could have sworn she saw a bit of fire light up in that instant. Angrily, the horse pawed the ground, tossing its head a little, and from behind it came many snakes, which hissed, their mouths like torches.

"What is this?" Surim asked, but the old centaur motioned for her to be quiet.

Quietly, the centaur moved forward, his body language friendly. The strange horse, however, did not seem interested in the centaur, and it reared, its forelegs disappearing as a greater wind struck them. Hard hooves came to the ground harshly, striking the earth sharply, despite their lack of a seeable form.

"It is a spitemare," the old man said as he backed up to stand abreast with Surim and the blond boy, "and it does not want us to pass."

"We have to," Surim said with annoyance.

"And there lies our problem. It will not attack unless we proceed, however, so we may take time to think things through."

"Screw that," Surim grumbled, and strode forward.

The centaur protested, but was not quick enough to catch Surim. The girl ran forward, feinting to one side before jumping to the other, trying to run past the spitemare. But just as she thought she was clear, the hoard of snakes that served as the horse's tail came out of nowhere and latched onto Surim. The girl cried out as the fires burnt her skin where the snakes' mouths touched. Then she was forcefully tossed away, but since she was not yet out of the cave, the horse came after her, stomping its hooves on the ground to chase her away.

Surim had to roll away, but she never got hurt by the mare. Cautiously, she stood up as the mare fussed and reared, not striking despite ironically chasing her closer to the exit. What was with this thing?

"It does not attack unless you do." The centaur said. "Though I am not certain why it is here…"

"Just let us go through." Surim said quietly, trying to sooth the angry animal. "All we want is to pass."

She took a step closer to the exit, and then another. Despite the centaur's words, however, the spitemare finally struck, lashing out its hooves while the longer snakes tried to strike. In a counter strike, Surim swept around her leg as the mare tried to come back down, sweeping its front feet from under it. With a shriek, the mare came down on its side.

"Go!" Surim shouted. "You need to get through, right? Go!"

With an apology, the centaur trotted through the small cave. The mare shrieked in protest, doing its best to get back up again, snakes lashing out at anything that came close enough to become a target. The boy came through as well, head ducked as if he had done something wrong. This seemed to be the last straw for the spitemare. With another shriek, it got up as Surim turned to run to the next tunnel. All of the mare's rage rushed towards Surim. She tried to turn in order to confront it, but she knew it would be too late.

A burst of bright light quite distracted everyone in the room. From the mouth of the tunnel stood the boy, his gaze fierce and burning bright upon the mare. Shocked the mare reared and stumbled back, its head bobbing in anxiousness. The light from the snakes' mouths faded, and they became less aggressive, almost frightened.

"Surim!" The old centaur called as the light began to fade from the boy.

Stunned, Surim moved into the tunnel and began following the centaur again, who didn't seem to find anything strange. Curious, the girl looked to the boy. He looked like a normal little boy again, head hung and eyes dim. What had just happened?

"What was that?" Surim said into the stifling heat again.

"I do not know." The centaur said calmly.

"You don't know? You don't care, either?"

"No. I pick up those who have possibilities before them. I do not need to know what those possibilities are."

"So, if you pick up the next evil overlord, you won't care?"

"Those kinds of futures are very dark, and easily seen."

Surim raised a brow. She did not agree. If she was going to travel with people, she wanted to know exactly who she was travelling with. Still, in order to do what she could for Etsia, she would have to focus on dealing with the circumstances before her. Until things became impossible, she would keep going with the centaur.

"By the way, where are we?"

"Where are we?"

"Yes, that's what I just said."

"I know, young one. It is a plane of metal."

"Metal?"

"Yes, everything you see here is metal."

Just then, the tunnel opened up. Surim gasped. All of _this_ was metal?

**Cards Used: Walker of the Grove, Savage Silhouette, Mountain (Aleksi Briclot), Spitemare, Serra's Boon**

**Also Appeared: Dowsing Shaman**

**Shieb: T_T Finally got a second chapter out. I am SO sorry for the long wait. Life is just keeping me busy. It will be doing the same thing for the next couple of weeks, so I'll try to get in a couple of paragraphs when I can now and then. Drew my next cards. They're gonna be interesting. :)**

**Don't forget to review! I can't get better if you don't give me constructive criticism.  
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